NOME​Norton Sound

Population: 3,600Church: Nome Covenant ChurchLead Pastor: Harvey FiskeauxAssociate Pastor for Families: Nathan HobbsAssociate Pastor for Youth and Checkpoint Youth Center Director: James Ventress (CYAK Staff)Vocational Youth Worker(s): Caleb Hagen (CYAK Staff)Brief Community Description and History: Nome was built along the Bering Sea on the south coast of the Seward Peninsula, facing the Norton Sound. It lies 539 air miles northwest of Anchorage, a 75 minute flight. It lies 102 miles south of the Arctic Circle and 161 miles east of Russia. Malemiut, Kauweramiut, and Unalikmiut Eskimos have occupied the Seward Peninsula historically, with a well-developed culture adapted to the environment. Gold discoveries in the Nome area had been reported as far back as 1865. But it was a $1500 gold strike on Anvil Creek in 1898 that brought thousands of miners. Quickly the area transformed into a tent-and-log cabin city of 20,000. The gradual depletion of gold, a major influenza epidemic in 1918, the Great Depression and World War II each influenced Nome’s population. A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community - the Nome Eskimo Community. The population of Nome is a mixture of Inupiat Eskimos and non-Natives. (Kawerak.org)